Donuts: The Lux Luther Burger

This recipe combines some of my favorite things: Nostalgia, flavor and pure gluttony. There's no need to count calories or consider your arteries. Just make sure you've checked your heart rate and that this will be your one and only cheat meal for the next...week or so.

When I cooked and shot this recipe, I had a few friends over to taste test before I was comfortable posting it. One of them said, "This is the best seasoned burger I've probably ever had in my life." Another commented, "I was skeptical at first, but these flavors work so well together. The gorgonzola, blackberry jam and bacon are perfectly balanced." The other one simply said, "Yo, this is good as f**k." Haha! That's all the confirmation I needed before sharing this.

INGREDIENTS

8 glaze donuts

2lbs of ground beef

1 egg

thick cut applewood bacon (8 strips)

1 wedge of gorgonzola

arugula

olive oil

1 lemon

orange juice

blackberries

sugar

red onion

salt

pepper

granulated garlic

paprika

onion powder

Worcestershire sauce

CLASSIC GLAZE

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In a sauce pan, bring 4 cups of blackberries, 1/4 cup of orange juice, zest of one lemon and 1/4 of sugar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce and allow the batch to cook and break down for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and using a wooden spoon to break up the berries. Put it off to the side to cool in a mason jar or container of your choosing.

On a large baking sheet with a wire rack lined with aluminum foil, place bacon strips on top of the rack, evenly spaced from one another. Roast in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes. Set to the side.

In a large bowl, whisk one egg. Add ground beef and season liberally with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, paprika and onion powder. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Using your hands, gentle mix and combine all ingredients. Then form 4 burger patties, making an indentation in the center with your thumb to prevent puffing.

In a cast iron skillet on high heat, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Place burger patties in the screaming hot pan, evenly spaced. Sear on each side for 2-4 minutes until they get a good crust. Remove patties and wipe the pan clean.

In a medium size bowl, combine 4 cups arugula, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, tossing a few times to evenly coated.

Assemble burger with a spread of blackberry jam on bottom donut. Followed by arugula and red onion. Then add the burger patty topped with bacon and crumbled gorgonzola. Then the top donut.